London | The world’s second-largest election this year, after India, kicks off on Thursday. Up to 373 million voters will spend four days filing into polling booths to decide the political make-up of the European Parliament for the rest of this decade.

Riding a surge in support, leaders of the muscular right and far-right – led by Italy’s Giorgia Meloni and France’s Marine Le Pen – are hoping the elections will ramp up their burgeoning, Europe-wide momentum.